Hands-On Preview: Sword of the Sea – PlayStation.Blog

Wow, where do I even start? Okay, so imagine this blend, right? Picture it: Sword of the Sea. It’s like a wild mashup of a bunch of cool stuff from Giant Squid’s previous games. Ever play Abzû or The Pathless? If not, no worries, but seriously, they mixed those vibes with Journey’s epic deserts — you know, that mystical trip everybody raves about. Anyway — wait, I’m getting sidetracked — the game kinda feels like all these elements were just itching to come together in this surreal surfing experience.

So, yeah, grabbed a controller and went to town on Sword of the Sea, and also chatted up the crew at Giant Squid. It’s dropping on PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, August 19. Save the date? Or not. Up to you!

Right, the game kicks off with you waking up as The Wraith. Super mysterious, right? You’re apparently the last shot at bringing the oceans back to life. Spoiler alert: you’re on a mission. Got this magical surfboard, and off you go hitting the dunes like some kind of sand-surfing phantom.

Okay, they throw you into this massive sandbox. Perfect playground to mess around with your board. Tricks, stunts, you name it. There’s these Ocean Seeds — don’t ask, just roll with it — that you find and use to bring the ocean back. Cool, right? It’s like you’re Mother Nature… on a board.

And, oh man, the water! It’s not just pretty scenery. You think, water’s just there, right? Nope. It actually cranks up your speed, letting you nail those gnarly tricks, while sea life sometimes lends a hand. Jellyfish for jump pads — who even thinks of this stuff? Terraforming the landscape was oddly satisfying, though. Can’t lie.

So, here’s the thing. Nava, the guy behind this magic, says it’s about the spiritual side of surfing. All his skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing — real-life experience stuff —- smushed together into this one surreal mix. Yeah, you’ve got your adrenaline junkie angles, but it’s also about dancing on the edge between our world and underwater wonders. Deep, right?

And there’s these golden triangles, aka Tetra, scattered around. Use them to learn new tricks and stuff from shady vendors. Hidden arenas and paths — like a treasure hunt really. Sounds cliché, but whatever, it’s fun!

Pulling off stunts? Easy peasy. Jump, hit X, do a double trick. Spice things up with grabs and flips when you snag moves from the vendors. Some secret technique or whatever… but let’s not get hung up on that. Just know it looks sick. High scores? Still puzzling that one out.

The desert ain’t just sand, my friend. Tiles, ruins, sea critters — they’ve got it all. DualSense haptics — wow! It’s like tingling fingertips or something when you hit different surfaces. Tiles make these musical sounds and the controller? Awesomely responsive. I could go on. Or not.

Then there’s the exploration deal. Venture out, find secrets, pieces of the past. It’s a poetic sorta journey — I felt it. Loss, destruction… classic themes. The mystery ramps up as some sneaky character starts tailing you. Another wraith? Who knows. But it gave me serious goosebumps.

Tying it all together, Sword of the Sea feels like… an evolution? Yeah, that. It’s like everything that worked before came together to give this project life. Can’t shake the feeling all the sights, sounds, had me vibing with the landscape. Excited to see what’s lurking beyond the horizon, board ready.

Nava summed it up well: movement, nature — a trademark Giant Squid concoction but with a fresh twist. If you’re curious about Sword of the Sea, there’s trailers and more from June’s State of Play to explore.

Alright, I wandered through plenty of thoughts there. Time to wrap up. Oh, and watch the trailer if you haven’t. Fun stuff awaits!